DETROIT – I recently experienced some engineering deftness while driving the 2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD crossover vehicle.
I noticed when exiting the vehicle that the door handle was feathery light, almost as though the door was unlocked. I checked several times and that was not the case. However, when I opened the door to get in the smart Sportage, the door handle had heft, substance and a weight that made me feel secure.
My point is that Kia engineers made the door feel that way: feathery to the touch when exiting and more substance when opening the door to enter.
My week-long test drive of the Kia Sportage EX AWD was marked with that kind of juxtaposition.
AWD stands for all-wheel-drive and in the Sportage the system sends 100 percent of the torque to the vehicle’s front wheels until slippage is detected. However, the all-wheel-drive system can be locked; evenly dividing torque between the front and rear wheels up to 25 miles per hour. That’s more than enough oomph to free the vehicle from most slippery spots.
My test vehicle had a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that was mated to a six speed automatic transmission. The combination provided 170 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. I found this was more than enough power on the interstate. I drove to Chicago and had enough off the mark spunk to navigate Windy City traffic which, as always, was treacherous.
There is a 176 horsepower 168 pound-feet of torque version of the engine with a CVT (continuously variable transmission). My car was rated as a SULEV, super low emission vehicle, and the CVT was a ULEV, an ultra low emissions vehicle. And there is a six-speed manual gearbox. A 2.0-liter turbo joins the lineup this model year; it will make 240 horsepower.
But my test car proved quite satisfactory in the cold weather. It had heated front seats with two settings and I used mine without hesitation. As with most heated seats, it took a few minutes to feel toasty, but the Kia Sportage’s heated front seats did warm me and at one point a passenger.
Ride and handling where good, but that’s always tough to judge in cold weather. Winter tires, ice patches, slush, snow and potholes as the weather warms make for driving that can be compared to an obstacle course. I found the Sportage more than capable.
My only quibble was mileage. The test vehicle had a 21/28 mpg EPA rating. That sounds good but I didn’t think the Sportage’s range was all that great. The fuel tank held 14.5 gallons, which I didn’t think was that much for a utility vehicle. I think Kia engineers would do well to increase the size of the fuel tank, if possible, by 5 gallons. That would make its highway range more than 400 miles.
The Kia Sportage had a sloping roofline, cats eye head lamps and a really slick design. But when any vehicle is covered with the ice, mud, slush and snow of winter, looks are not important. The real test is how comfortable it keeps the driver and passengers and how it handles the roads. On all points, the Kia Sportage did just fine.
My test vehicle had a sticker of $29,990.
Frank S. Washington is managing partner/editor of AboutThatCar.com.
